1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus and an image recording method where an image is recorded on a recording medium and particularly relates to a technique for detecting abnormalities which are on the recording medium.
2. Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013-215983 describes a printer which records an image on a recording medium by discharging ink from a head which opposes the recording medium while the recording medium is being transported from a paper feeding unit toward a winding unit. In the printer which records an image on the recording medium using the head in this manner as designated in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013-215983, there is a concern about a paper jam with the recording medium or abnormalities such as dust colliding with the head. In order to cope with this, the printer in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013-215983 is provided with a sensor which detects the presence or absence of abnormalities on the recording medium.
Here, there are cases where there are abnormalities on the recording medium where an image is recorded as will be described later. In contrast to this, the recording medium where an image is recorded is sent from the head to the winding unit side in the image recording apparatus (the printer) described above where the recording medium is transported from the paper feeding unit in a certain direction toward the winding unit. For this reason, abnormalities do not pass under the head and there is no particular problem. However, depending on the image recording apparatus, it is possible to transport the recording medium in a direction (a reverse transporting direction) which is the reverse of a direction (a forward transporting direction) in which the recording medium is transported when recording an image. It is assumed that there are also cases where abnormalities, which are on the recording medium where an image is recorded, pass under the head in the image recording apparatus and problems are possible. Therefore, it is suitable if it is possible to confirm the presence or absence of abnormalities.